Bajaj Pulsar 200 vs Yamaha FZ-S

Yesterday, while leaving Mc Donald's at Manesar, Sid came up with the idea of exchanging the bikes on our return. Nice idea again :) !! Previously I had ridden the FZ only a couple of times, for short test rides, which really don't give you any feel of any bike that you set out to test, because you really can't test the bikes for their feel on the conditions that you get to test (like traffic, bumpy roads etc etc). So, this was an excellent and a rare opportunity for me to test and check out the Yamaha FZ-S 2009 model.

Before giving my bike to Sid, I had only one apprehension in my mind..... my bike was low on fuel and therefore it would be sluggish (mam doesn't like it empty stomach.... really!!). Sid on the other hand, had the bike almost full!!

So, we set out on our way back journey. Till the U-turn came, I really didn't give FZ-S any real wack because I really wanted to build my confidence first on the bike before trying anything. The U-Turn came, and now it was time for the fun to begin. So, here's how I felt about the bike-

1. On every gear, I took the bike past 7k mark, and boy she responded well. The power delivery was absolutely smooth and full of confidence.
2. Even though smooth, the power delivery was not linear like in my Pulsar 200. The performance behaviour is a lot different before 5k rpm and past 5k rpm. After 5k rpm, the bike just loves to blast off, be you are at any gear, even the 1st gear to that matter, which makes it a perfect track day bike. From 1k rpm to 5 k rpm, the bike is very sedate and you get a very relaxed ride, which makes it a perfect city machine.
3. At exactly 5k rpm, I felt a very peculiar vibration creeping into the bike, which was not there before 5k and there post it!! It was a funny vibration accompanied with a click sound. Couldn't get what it was. As per Sid, it might be the valve going into performance mode!!
4. A special mention about the Rear 140 section tire. They are simply awesome and inspire a hell lot of confidence to push the bike harder and harder. This is one thing which takes the FZ-S a step ahead of the Pulsar or any other bike to that matter. You can flick it, tilt it, do a wheelie, everything with a lot lot confidence. It gives all the required traction and command on the gravel filled Indian roads. Also, it acts an additional cushion for the rear. Also, the tire being light weight, provides absolutely no hindrance in the bike's performance or it's ability zip through.
5. The mass centralization of the bike comes into picture when you decide to tilt the bike. It tilts with such damn ease that you seldom feel to turn the handle bar to make a turn. Also the mass centralization makes braking very smooth and confident. Another feature where I found my bike lacking.

Performance numbers and that also when I filled up the tank, was the place where Pulsar 200 scored. As per Sid,

1. there was a big difference performance before and post fill up. He was able to easily take the bike past the 6k mark before the fill up and the bike was building up speeding in a controllable fashion which he could handle. But post fill up, it became very difficult for him to take the 200 past the 6k mark, because it started building up speed so quick that he found the stretches lacking in length.
2. He found the braking damn precise and quick and for which he had to adjust himself.
3. The riding position being forward biased, he found the body torso playing a very important role in overall rideability of the bike.
4. Since the mass centralization of the Pulsar 200 has been dealt with so much detail as on the FZ-S, Sid found that when turning the bike, the front bike turning quicker than the rear, instead the whole bike turning at the same time. Also, tilting the bike, didn't inspired much confidence.
5. Overall, the way the bike built speeds, was fun!! Specially at higher rpms, the bang which the bike produced, really thrilled him :)

Well from both of us riding each other's bike, helped us in understanding the technology and fun factors of each other's bike, and also to understand our own bikes from a different perspective.